Ethnographic Exercise—Methodology
1. Think of a local subject or event you’d like to attain a deeper understanding of. What is your subject or event?
Deaf Culture. More specifically, the interaction of deaf people with hearing people.
2. Identify a site where you can witness actions and objects associated with the subject or event you’ve chosen. Where is your site?
Deaf Coffee Social - Held inside a Starbucks.
3. Once you are at the site, describe the physical environment (spatial elements, objects, colors, symbols, etc.).
There isn't much to say about the physical appearance of the place since, like most Starbucks, this place was decorated in warm, vibrant colors with chairs of varying degrees of comfort.
Those attending the social clustered in the corner. One could easily pick out the ASL students from the seasoned signers, who signed easily in a more relaxed manner.
4. Next, describe the actions you observe.
Everyone sat close together, and as more people showed up, they simply latched onto the original circles instead of forming their own. When the space did run out, people stayed close to the group. There was also a slight separation in the circles as well. The students clustered in clumps within the group, while the deaf and the more proficient signers clustered in other parts of the group.
5. Did you hear people talking to each other? What were they saying related to your subject?
Since the entire event was centered on relaxed interaction, there was very little verbal reference to the subject. However, it was interesting to note the changes in conversation going from two deaf people to a deaf person and a hearing person. Usually the conversation was more tentative on the student’s part while the deaf person did their best to communicate their point. While interacting with another deaf person there was, as expected, a faster conversation as well as a lot more humor involved in the conversation.
6. Participate (if possible) in the events transpiring and note what you personally experienced.
Not all deaf people took the same approach, and some simply stuck to interacting with other deaf people. The hearing gentleman sitting next to me was particularly helpful and did his best to translate when needed and helped all the students by teaching them new signs.
7. Think of a question you could ask those around you to increase your clarity about what is transpiring. What is your question?
The question I asked of most people was what they thought of the local Deaf community in comparison with Deaf communities elsewhere.
8. Now ask your question to at least 3 people and record their responses below:
The first person I asked was the helpful gentleman I spoke of before. He said that the Deaf community in the Sacramento area was small in comparison to other places, but that he felt welcome as a hearing person in the Deaf community.
Next I asked this man’s wife who is very hard of hearing. She expressed the same sentiment, but pointed out that though they were welcome in the Deaf community, they were by no means a part of it. They were treated kindly, but not like one of the group.
Lastly I asked another Deaf person that I was talking to. He said he felt that the community, though small, was tightly knit. He had rarely had troubles or heard of anyone having troubles within the community.
9. What significant aspects of the event or subject you chose are revealed in the descriptions and statements above?
It is quite apparent that there is a strong sense of in-group and out-group within the Deaf community. Though the community is very welcoming to outsiders and anyone wanting to learn about their culture, they are not quick to assimilate. Some deaf people can be very warm and helpful, but it is still apparent that the distinction exists. For some it takes years and years to be totally accepted into the deaf community. For others, and this is a rare few, it could be a matter of days or months. Nevertheless, there was not even an inkling of animosity between those who were members of the Deaf community and those who were not.
10. After trying it out just a bit, how would you evaluate the ethnographic method?
It was certainly an interesting experience, but kind of fun. The process was a tad more challenging than I expected. It is hard trying to analyze a culture and, at the same time, trying to better understand it while being a part of it.
2 comments:
Great post Srawr42! You addressed all of the outcome mastery criteria and thus you have demonstrated mastery of the Ethnography outcome!
You said that there isn't much to say about the physical environment... ...I almost choked when I read that. "That's so not true!" I thought. But then I kept an open mind to your idea and realized that what you were saying, I think, is that there's not much about the physical environment that pertains to the subject you were examining, namely deaf culture. Though there still might be some connection there, your point is somewhat valid. If you take any given cultural event there are likely an endless array of things, forces, actions one could focus on. And which get focused on to the neglect of others should be a strategic, well-informed research decision. And I think that's what you did there.
Great details on the actual event. It seems that ethnography was effective for you. And I'm glad you thought it was fun but challenging at the same time.
This is such a good point: "It is hard trying to analyze a culture and, at the same time, trying to better understand it while being a part of it." This statement characterizes the challenges I've felt regarding fieldwork as well. It's a constant internal struggle to try to let yourself go, become ensnared in a cultural event while at the same time reflecting analytically about it. Sometimes I choose repetition and reflection to address this. So, I may engage in a cultural event somewhat uncritically and then reflect upon it later. Journal writing is a great tool here.
Be well.
Srawr42,
I enjoyed your post. Observing a gathering of deaf people is always an experience. You did a good job conveying the difficulty some people have in gaining acceptance into that circle. I agree that it is hard to analyze and participate at the same time. I find that I am distracted by my judgments and have a hard time keeping an "open mind". You did a good job.
Metamorphosis
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